Jeremiah Smith knows just how this story is supposed to end. One more season. One more shot at a national title. Then it’s time to move on. At Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday, the 20-year-old junior admitted it stings knowing the ride is almost over, but he also made it clear that he’s not planning on sticking around any longer than necessary.

“Kind of sad, but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got,” Jeremiah Smith said via Eleven Warriors. 

Someone reminded him that, technically, he still has eligibility left and could spend two more seasons with the Buckeyes if he wanted. Smith laughed before delivering the answer everyone expected.

“I know, but I think it’s time for me to go,” he said. 

That wasn’t a surprising response. Jeremiah Smith is already viewed as one of the safest bets to come off the board near the top of the 2027 NFL Draft. Still, hearing him say it himself removed whatever tiny bit of mystery remained about his future. 

People expected a lot from Jeremiah Smith the moment he stepped onto campus. And yet, he ended up doing more than most imagined. As a true freshman in 2024, he broke several Ohio State freshman receiving records and looked comfortable from Day 1. His biggest moment came in the national championship against Notre Dame. 

Facing third-and-11 late in the game, Jeremiah Smith hauled in a 56-yard catch that all but put the Buckeyes over the line, becoming one of the signature plays of Ohio State’s title run. He followed that with another huge year as the Buckeyes stayed among the nation’s elite. 

Through only two seasons, Jeremiah Smith has piled up 163 catches, 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns, numbers that already place him among the program’s best WRs. This year, he’s set to give his best and settle some unfinished business before moving on to the NFL. 

“Bringing more hardware back to Ohio State,” he said when asked what a perfect season would look like. “That’s what the perfect season would look like.”

It’s a fitting goal for someone who has already accomplished almost everything else at the college level. That’s one of the major reasons he has remained with Ryan Day. Smith also confirmed reports that he rejected a reported $10 million NIL offer to transfer after Brian Hartline left for South Florida. For him, the choice was simple. There are still individual milestones left and Ohio State is the best place for that sort of business.  

He said he’s “definitely chasing” both the Heisman Trophy and the Biletnikoff Award, adding that the Heisman should recognize the best player rather than automatically favoring QBs or gaudy numbers.

Now, even with draft projections following him everywhere, Jeremiah Smith insists his focus hasn’t drifted.

“I don’t really focus on what’s in the future,” he said. “I focus on what’s right now. And that’s Ohio State football. I’m not really focusing on the NFL but trying to make everybody around me better… Trying to leave the jersey better than I found it.”

Jeremiah Smith’s clock at Ohio State may be winding down, but he’s determined to leave with another championship in his hands before walking away.